Amélie Corner

NaNoWriMo starts tomorrow, and it both excites me and sends my anxiety soaring through the roof.

For those who don’t know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. It’s where writers join in for a common goal: to write a 50,000-word novel in the month of November. It sounds like a lot, but don’t let it discourage you.

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I Can at Least Keep It Subdued

August 6, 2021

Fun Fact Friday No Comments

I Can at Least Keep It Subdued - girl looking out at lake

*Sigh* It’s been a while since I’ve made a Fun Fact Friday post. One reason is because there’s a lot going on in my head, and forming a coherent string of thoughts for a blogpost feels exhausting. Another reason is the challenge of coming up with something people might find interesting, lol, but I think today I’ve got one.

Mr. Burns Syndrome

July 25, 2021

Mr. Burns Syndrome - drowning with a jumble of numbers

I don’t normally post on Sundays, but I didn’t want to miss another Boldness in the Face of Anxiety Monday, and a post tomorrow isn’t going to happen (more on that later). I haven’t blogged much this last month. Hardly at all, in fact. I can’t really put my finger on it other than calling it “Mr. Burns Syndrome.”

A Healthy Dose of Hope

May 5, 2021

Wednesday Lift 2 Comments

Megan, my protagonist in my manuscript, has this mantra: Hope always ends in disappointment. Her allies try to chip away at this false narrative, but every time they make headway, something happens to derail their progress, and Megan’s distorted belief strengthens. Real life feels like that sometimes, doesn’t it?

Keeping Hope Alive

May 3, 2021

It’s Monday. Time for another Boldness in the Face of Anxiety post, and this one has me feeling particularly vulnerable…

Keeping Hope Alive - sad in woods with book

I’ve battled depression on and off since my teen years (although some in my family will likely deny it). It’s under control for the most part. I see a therapist regularly—btw, there is NO SHAME in admitting that—but that doesn’t mean there aren’t “flare-ups,” and the last few days have had me struggling.

What Nature is Waiting to Show You

April 28, 2021

Wednesday Lift No Comments

What Nature is Waiting to Show You - chrysalis on a purple sage branch

The Texas freeze was two and a half months ago. It seems like a lifetime ago that we went twenty-three days without running water. Shortly after we got everything working again, we slowly eased back into pandemic normalcy (if that exists). My nine-year-old had fun cutting up a dead purple sage bush, and guess what he found on the branch…a chrysalis shell.

That’s What Makes Us Human

March 31, 2021

Wednesday Lift No Comments

That’s What Makes Us Human - Perfect Water Ripples

I’m a perfectionist, which can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because I want to get things right and will work at it until I do. It’s a curse because, well, if I don’t “get” it just right, it can be a never-ending source of frustration. Something that’s even more challenging than managing my perfectionism is my ability to be realistic.

That Extra Persistence

March 24, 2021

Wednesday Lift No Comments

That Extra Persistence - try and stop me turtle

Someone told me at a writers’ conference a couple years ago that every author needs three things in order to get published: (1) Talent. (2) Persistence. (3) Luck. I’ve never forgotten that, especially now that I’m querying. Talent, I think I have—at least several people have told me I’m a good writer. Persistence, yes. Luck…I have to admit, I haven’t felt too lucky recently.

A Stronger Person Because of It

March 22, 2021

A Stronger Person Because of It - middle of the forest with fallen leaves

The last several days have been quite difficult for me. I kept going back to that quote from The Blacklist: “There is nothing that can take the pain away. But eventually you will find a way to live with it. There will be nightmares. And every day when you wake up, it will be the first thing you think about. Until one day, it will be the second thing.”